State receives 1,200 medical marijuana facility applications

As the last day of the extended deadline for medical marijuana facility applications ended, Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services was receiving hundreds of applications.
by News Tribune
Aug. 21 2019 @ 12:05am

In this Sept. 20, 2018, file photo, an employee at a medical marijuana cultivator works on topping a marijuana plant, in Eastlake, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer, File)

As the last day of the extended deadline for medical marijuana facility applications ended, Missouri's Department of Health and Senior Services was receiving hundreds of applications.

According to a press release, the department received more than 1,200 in the last three days, with more than 800 coming in the last 24 hours.

In total, DHSS received approximately 2,100 applications for licenses for cultivation, dispensary, manufacturing, testing laboratory and transportation facilities for medical marijuana.

The application process opened Aug. 3, and was initially meant to end Aug. 17, but the deadline was extended two days due to an expected high volume near the end of the application window.

DHSS now has 150 days to finish approving or denying all applications. Applications will be scored by a third-party blind scorer using a set of facility license questions and scoring criteria.

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Based on those results, DHSS will license 60 cultivation facilities, 192 dispensaries, 86 medical marijuana-infused manufacturing facilities and 10 testing laboratory facilities. Exact numbers on how many applications were received for each type of facility will be figured in the next few weeks.

According to Jack Cardetti, who was a spokesman for the organization that promoted Amendment 2, New Approach Missouri, at least 24 dispensary licenses must be issued in each congressional district, to total 192.

"We greatly appreciate the input and feedback we have received from so many Missourians that have helped us implement Article XIV of the Constitution," said Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS, in a news release. "While our main goals have always been putting patients first and maintaining integrity of the program, we think this exemplifies good governance in implementing a complex initiative passed by the overwhelming majority of Missouri voters."

DHSS also began processing qualified patient and caregiver applications June 28 and have approved more than 6,500. Medical marijuana identification cards must be approved or denied within 30 days.